Death and the King's Horseman

Currently playing at the Olivier theatre on the South Bank is the Soyinka play ruminating on the the three worlds of the Yoruba people, the dead, the living and the unborn. Featuring song, dance, drama (even comedy) and theatrical effects the play tells the story of the ritual duty of the King's horseman to take his own life when the king dies and the determination of the white colonial master to prevent this suicide from happening. The spirit world features strongly in this play and as we follow the horseman's deliberations we get an entertaining mix of humour, satire, mystery and tragedy. There were entertaining performances by the lead actors but what was most impressive was the women choruses who livened up the events with vigorous and energetic dances and comedy sequences, the most memorable lament being the last one which resonates in the ear even after leaving the theatre.
While this made the play highly entertaining there was also food for thought on the role of the spirit world in Yoruba culture. In this other dimension the unborn wait on human actions and events to decide whether to come to the world of the living while the ancestors look on and roam the landscape to ensure that the next generation comes through.